Effective management control of remote mobile merchandising business units such as carts and kiosks has traditionally been a major problem and concern for operators. The lack of generally available business resources such as telephone communication lines and electronic POS (Point of Sale computerized cash register system) system hookups, sufficient inventory storage space, hourly employee supervision and adequate maintenance support make the effective and profitable management of mobile business units much more difficult then the traditional brick and mortar fixed location alternatives. As a result, the potential for a successful mobile merchandising operation has been diminished in the past because of the lack of appropriate management information and communication capabilities.
Partial attempts at supplying solutions to some of the problems involved in effective management of mobile business operations have been made in the past. These attempts have only been directed toward partial solutions to the more complex problems of effective overall mobile cart and kiosk professional management. For example, people have used conventional cash registers in conjunction with mobile carts and kiosks but have not been able to successfully use computerized POS systems because POS systems are dependent upon access to communication lines and communication lines are not generally available at random locations. The lack of POS availability significantly limits management's ability to make effective and timely business decisions.
Other radio technologies have been previously used in conjunction with carts and kiosks such as voice radio transmissions however, such arrangements have been primarily contemplated for use in an informal communications environment and not in conjunction with the formal transmission of business management information in a computer readable media designed to provide management with up to the minute information necessary to the profitable operation of cart and kiosk fleets.
Motion detector devices are known but not generally contemplated to be used in conjunction with mobile business enterprises and particularly as an integrate function within a comprehensive mobile business management system. Use of a motion detection device without full integration with the other elements of the present invention such as automatic paging, which informs a manager, wherever he or she happens to be located, of a security breach, would restrict its value and usefulness to its owner.
Inventory tracking systems for warehouses and the like are also known, however they are not readily adaptable to the specific and unique requirements associated with the successful operation of mobile carts and kiosks. Since carts and kiosks have limited storage capacity an operator must be able to communicate a inventory replenishment request in a real time fashion and have that request serviced immediately. Replenishment schemes generally available with convention systems would prove to be totally inadequate.